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Abstract

A triple-output Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) operating with long-range surface plasmon-polariton waves, consisting of a MZI in cascade with a triple coupler, is demonstrated at a wavelength of ~1370 nm, using the thermo-optic effect to produce phase shifting. A theoretical model for three-waveguide coupling is also proposed and was applied to compute the transfer characteristic of various designs. Dimensions for the device were selected to optimize performance, experiments were performed, and the results were compared to theory. The outputs were sinusoidally related to the thermally-induced phase shift and separated by ~2π/3 rad, as expected theoretically. Four detection schemes that take advantage of the 3 times larger dynamic range and suppress time-varying common perturbations are proposed and analyzed in order to improve the detection limit of the device. A minimum detectable phase shift ~2/3 that of a single output was obtained from a power difference scheme and a normalization scheme. The smallest minimum detectable phase shift was 7.3 mrad. The device is promising for sensing applications, including (bio)chemical sensing.

Fig. 8 Transfer characteristic measurements for a triple-output MZI: (a) output optical power versus dissipated electrical power, and (b) normalized optical power versus thermally induced phase shift. The theoretical results are superimposed on the measurements in Part (b). The inset is a mosaic of normalized mode images showing the power switching among the three outputs.